Gas or vapor circuit-breaker.



iP. H. THOMAS. GAS 0E VAPOR CIRCUIT BEEEE. 1 APPLEUATIOH HLBDAPQM; 1905. www@ 85??.11, 190s.

y919.264.Y mam Apr. 2@ ma COMPANY, Ol" NEW YORK, N. Y., il CORPORATION, Oli hvllt 101th.

GAS GR VAPOR CIRCUT-BREAWR.

No. 919,264. Specification of Letters ,Patent Patented April 20, 1909.

Original application filed 3une`27, 1903, Serial No. 163,807. Divided and this application iiled April 25, 1905,

Serial No. 257,304. Renewed September e, 1908. Serial No. l151,738.

To all whom it 'may concern: l piece or cover, 13, fitted with an eyepiece, 55

Be it known that l, Pliner ll. THOMAS, a 14, constituting a handle. citizen of thel United States, and resident of 'l` he parts last described, including the Montclair, county of Essex, State of New shell, the cover, and the handle, forni a cap 5 Jersey, have invented certain new and useful for the tube 9 by nieans of which the latter linprovenients in Gas or Vapor Circuitcan be lifted. The circuit wires arc con- 60 Breakers, of which the following is a specinected, respectively, to the shell 8, as tlcation. l shown at 15, and to the flanged piece 13, as he object oit' the present invention is to shown at 16. ln the closed position the l0 provide a circuit breaker by inea-ns of which circuit passes by way of the shell 8"' and the an electric circuit can be interrupted without inercury to the sleeve 10 and theilanged 65 danger of the ioiination ol' a destructive are. piece 13, and thence to the other side of the lt is especially adapted to use in conneccircuit. 1 tion with alternz'iting, current circuits. To break the circuit, it is only necessary to The significant feature oi" the invention lift the tube 9a through the niediuin of its is that the circuit is broken between surfaces cap and the eye-piece 14, whereupon the nier- 70 inclosed in an exhausted chamber. l ,een` cury will descend in the annular space beorallycinployniercury as the means forclos tween the tube and the shell 8 until the ing the circuit inside the chainber and cause pressure of the air upon the mercury in the 2G the rupture of the circuit by separating the annular space has carried the mercury in the body of inercury into two -or niore parts, tube 9 to thc baioinetric height, after which 75 whereby any arc that is 'lornied extends any further lifting of the cap and tube will between two surfaces ci' inercury. llfhen cause a rupture of the circuit between the such a circuit breaker is included in an altervalve l2 and the mercury in the tube. The

nating current cireuit,.tlae are is readily rup cap and tube may then be lifted to a, point tured when the current momentarily ceases such as is indicated in Fig. 2 where the space 80 at the zero point of 'the wave and cannot between the check vale 12 andthe surface of start again, whereby it is effected that no the mercury opens a suitable space which is injurious rise of potential is causedin the outpractically a high vacuuin. lt issulheient side circuit. that the check valve 12 should furnish a perl have illustrated inyinvention in the acfeet seal only for an instant during the lifting 85 coinpanyinfr drawings, in whichh process, so that a nioinentary vacuum shall Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a forni of circuit be foinied for extinguishing the arc at the breaker, and Fig'. 3 is a vertical section of lirst'alternation. After this time the necesa modification. sity for the perfect seal no longer exists, as

The torni of circuit breaker illustrated in there would be no danger ol a restoration of 90 Figs. 1 and 2 has thepcculiaritj. of forming' the circuit even should the air leali in past its own vacuum when passing from the the valve. By this stateinent. it is not inclosed to thc'open position, as will presently tended to exclude the possibility el an apappear. ln this forni of apparatus l einplo;v proxiinately perfect seal at all times at the a shell, 8a, pirferablj.v of iron within which is check valve 12. The said valve will generally 95 held a tube, 9a, of glass7 porcelain or other be of conducting' material, but it will be ungoed insulti-tiner material. The tube 9L is dcistood that electrical-contact need not be open at the bottoni and when the tube is in broken between the inercury and the valve its lowcrniost position inside the shell S 12, but ina-y bc broken between the inercuiy both the tubo and the neutral space between and soine other part oi the apparatus. ln 100 the tube and the shell nearhv filled with Fig. 5% the same principle is illustrated, eX- inercury, shown in Fir. 3. At its upper cept in certain particulars which will presend the tube 9 is spread slightl)v and fitted ently be explained. Here the shell 8a is not with a sleeve, 1t), ol'l iron or other conductingl so lone; as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The

material, the said sleeve being' itself provided shell is forined into a cup shape at the top, 105 with an internal ring, 11, on which rests a as shown at 17, and within it is placed a valve, 12, oi any suitable rigid material. T o ilanged ring, 1S, which rests upon a washer, the top ol` the shell, 10, is secured a flanged 19, as shown. AThe washernniay be of soft -in Fig. 2, and the necessary movement of the tube in order to protect the circuit may be made smaller. The tube 9 is flanged at the.

top and rests upon the inner portlon of the flanged ring 18 so as to be carried up thereby when the said ring is lifted. The eye-piece 14 is connected to a cross-bar, 20, at the top of the-anged ring 18'within whiclrring 1s secured by a screw threador other means, a second flanged ring 21 on which a check valve', 22 rests. This check valve 22 has a tubular extension, 23, dipping down into the me/rcury in the tube 9". I provide snitable guide rods, 24, 24, which prevent a lateral movement of the cap during the lifting process.

It will be understood that the herein described circuit breaker may be used in circuits carrying currents naturally varying, whether or not the currents drop to zero o1' to a point higher than zero but below the carrying limit of the circuit breaker.

This application is a division of myapplication Serial Number 163,307. filed June 27, 1903, in whichv claims are made upon ce'rr tain features of my invention.

I claim as my invention z- 1. In an electric lcircuit-breaker,an inclosing vessel, a movable element consisting of a conducting liquid, avertically lnovable tube immersed in said movable element, a conducting valve for closing the u per end of the tube and making contact witli the liquid in the closed position of the circuit-breaker, and means whereby the tube audits connected parts may be moved, .whereby on a suiiicient movement of the tube, a separation of contact surfaces will take place and a vacuum be formed in the circuit-breaker. v

2. In an electric circuit-breaker, an inclosing vessel, a movable element consisting of a conducting liquid, lan insulating tube immersed in the said element, a check-valve of conducting material closing the u per end of the tube andmaking contact wit the li uid in the closed position of the circuit brea er, and means whereby the tube can' be lifted for creating a vacuum in the circuit breaker, and for separating the contacts within the vacuum. 3. In an electric circuit breaker, a gravitationally controlled movable element, a chamciaeee ber containing the same, a pluralityof cirmv cuit terminals cooperating with the said movable element, and means capable of being operated mechanically whereby a vacuum can be created within the chamber and the circuit broken in the vacuum.

4. In an electric circuit-breaker, a gravitationally controlled movable element, a chamber inclosing 'the same, a lurality of circuit terminalscoperatingwitili the said movable element, a valve sealing thesaid chamber, means for lifting the chamber and operating the said valve to create a vacuum in the chamber and to break the circuit in the vacuum.

5. In an electric circuit breaker, a movable element consisting'of a conducting liquid, a suitable chamber inclosing the same, a plurality of circuit terminals connected with the liquid element, and a'check valve closing the chamber, the heightof the liquid beingsuch as to constitute atemporary seal for the check valve on open position.

6.' In an electric' circuit breaker, a tube containing mercury, and a circuit terminal electrically connected with the mercury, a tube surrounding the first named tube with an' annular space between, means for lifting the inner tube, and creating a vacuum therein, and for separating the contacts within the y 7. an electric circuit breaker, a movablel element consisting of a conducting liquid, .an

inner tube surrounding a portion of the said li uid, an outer tube inclosing the said inner 'tulbe and the li uid,means for causin relative longitudine movement'between t e inner and outer tubes, and means'forfsealing the inner tube whereby on moving the inner tube longitudinally.a'vacuum will be formed and a rupture of the circuit will take place inside the vacuum.

8. Inan 'electric circuitV breaker, a conducting liquid, an innertube inclosng a portion thereof, and an outer tube'inclosing the liq- Auid and theinner tube, aseal for the inner tube' and means for Vcausingl relative longitudinal movement between e two. tubes, the cross-section of the inner tube being such in comparison with the cross sectional area between the two tubes that the relative movement between the two tubes need only be a small one in order to create a vacuum and to cause a separation of the contacts inside the WM. H. CAPEL, l 'Geenen H. S'rocKBRmen. l 

